National Govt & Politics

White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Intergovernmental Affairs and Implementation Rick Dearborn (L), Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and others attend a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and House of Representatives committee leaders in the Roosevelt Room at the White House March 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

By
Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

WASHINGTON
—

White House deputy chief of staff Rick Dearborn will leave his position early next year in the latest high-profile resignation from the Trump administration in recent weeks, according to multiple reports.

“Rick loyally served the president for two and a half years and brought tremendous energy to the White House staff,” White House chief of staff John Kelly said in a statement obtained by The Wall Street Journal. “He’s a super guy and it breaks my heart to see him leave, but I look forward to his continued personal friendship and support for the president’s agenda.”

White House officials told the Journal that Dearborn, who oversaw a broad range of White House departments, planned to pursue work in the private sector.

An unidentified source familiar with Dearborn’s decision told CNN that “he saw the passage of the sweeping Republican tax bill as his time to leave.” The bill was signed Friday morning by President Donald Trump.

Fox News reported Dearborn was “considered well-liked by the top brass at the White House, including chief of staff John Kelly, who tried to keep him.” Dearborn told the news network his departure felt “bittersweet.”

He worked as a Senate aide before joining Trump’s administration, according to the Journal. Among other positions, he previously served as chief of staff for then-Sen. Jeff Sessions.

His exit comes amid an anticipated round of Trump administration official departures heading into the new year, according to The Associated Press. Earlier this month, White House officials said deputy national security adviser Dina Powell would be leaving early next year.

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